Steve Spurrier predicts Florida to win 'between eight and 10 games' in 2024

When it comes to the Florida Gators, the word of Steve Spurrier is often gospel for fans. He’s been around the program for ages, and he certainly knows a good football team when he sees it.

Spurrier might not be convinced the Gators are great entering 2024, but based on his season projection for the team you’d have to say they’re at least good.

“I’m going to pick the Gators to finish somewhere around fifth or sixth (in the SEC), win between eight and 10 games, maybe nine, something like that,” Steve Spurrier said on Another Dooley Noted Podcast.

That would certainly be exceeding expectations. The Las Vegas win total over/under was set at 5.5 games this offseason and it’s been four years since Florida last produced a winning season.

Doing so this year, against the nation’s toughest schedule no less, would be an impressive feat.

Spurrier did caveat his pick somewhat, noting how important it was for the team to build some early momentum with a hot start out of the gates.

“I think we have a lot of good players, and if we can beat Miami the first game and develop some confidence that we are good enough to win and now let’s go do it, maybe that’ll sustain us throughout the course of the season,” Steve Spurrier said.

It wouldn’t be the first time Florida has won a big game against a season-opening opponent in recent memory. The team has opened up with quality Utah squads the past two years, winning the game in the Swamp in 2022 in thrilling fashion.

“That’s what happened two years ago, we beat Utah at home here and everyone said we’re back here in the rankings and away we go,” Steve Spurrier said. “We did, we had a huge surge (in the rankings). But time will tell. A week from this Saturday, so we’ll see how it plays out.”

Florida, of course, was unable to sustain that surge from the season opener against Utah. The Gators jumped all the way from unranked to No. 12 after beating the Utes. Unfortunately, the team would finish just 6-7.

The team will be out to avoid a similar fate this season. Of course, that starts with beating Miami in Week 1.